[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 124 (Thursday, September 26, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S9416]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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               HOME SAFETY MISHAPS COST AMERICANS DEARLY

 Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. President, this morning on the National Mall 
a report entitled ``State of Home Safety in America'' was unveiled by 
David Oliver, Executive Director of the Home Safety Council. The study, 
conducted by Dr. Carol Runyan of the University of North Carolina at 
Chapel Hill and recognized by Dr. Sue Binder of the Center for Disease 
Control and Prevention, paints a picture of far too many Americans 
being hurt by unintentional injuries and deaths in this nation.
  For instance, the study found that: Unintentional injuries are the 
fifth leading cause of death in the United States. Unintentional 
injuries in the home result in nearly 20,000 deaths and 13 million 
medical visits. Unintentional home injuries cost nearly $380 billion 
each year and account for an estimated 10 percent of all visits to 
emergency rooms.
  The Home Safety Council, a not-for-profit organization devoted to 
home safety, has already been working to educate Americans on the risks 
they face every day in their own homes. The Great Safety Adventure is a 
traveling hands-on educational experience that teaches basic life 
skills to help children, families and communities.
  Americans need to know the risks that exist in their homes and what 
they can do to prevent home injuries. This study will be an important 
resource for all Americans and will be a benchmark for examining future 
trends in home injury prevention.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in this monumental effort to educate 
and save American lives by informing our constituents of the risks 
present in their homes and the steps they can take to prevent 
unintentional home injuries and keep families safe. More details are 
available through the Home Safety Council's Web site, 
www.homesafetycouncil.org.
 For commissioning this important study and for raising the issue of 
home safety in the Congress, I congratulate the Home Safety Council and 
its distinguished board of directors.

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